Enveloped in Memories
by LavLongLoveFin
Summary: Tooth revisits her past with Jack Frost by her side, the small teeth telling a story that he never knew about. Told from Toothiana's perspective after taking a peek at his memories, it's only fair for him to look at hers as well... Right?


**A/N:** _This was originally written as a reply to a RP between myself (Toothexchange) and a wonderful Jack Frost RPer.(the-winter-spirit), on tumblr._

_ I thought others might like it as well, so... Enjoy!_

Tooth took out one of the smaller teeth, holding it up to examine it. This one should be alright to start them off. Clearing her throat, she held out his palm and placed the tooth on it. Placing her palm over his own, she closed her eyes and let the memories consume them.

_"Toothiana!" A girl cried out, laughing as she knocked on the thin rice paper screen that held the other child in shadows. "Come out and play with us!" _

_ "Are you sure?" Toothiana opened the door, peeking her head out. The girl blinked in surprise at her appearance before clapping her hands together in delight. She was just like a bird in the tall trees! Oh, how beautiful. Nodding in enthusiasm, Toothiana stepped out of the modest house with the encouragement. _

_ Stretching her wings, she looked behind her. The feathery attire was still new to her, and she had heard her mother praying to whoever was above for them to go away. But oh, how wonderful they were! Turning to her friend, Shara, she smiled brightly before spreading her wings and taking into the sky. _

_ Flying into the trees with her new freedom, she carefully selected a mango from one of the highest branches. Rubbing it on her feathers to rid it of dirt, she tossed it down to Shara who caught it easily enough and took a bite. Letting out a grin, she waved and went to get the others. _

_—-_

Tooth smiled softly at the memory, taking the tooth away and replacing it with another before repeating the simple process of taking one tooth from the canister and placing it in his palm. She let the memories wrap around them both once more.

—-

_ Toothiana held her hands behind her back, skipping along the dirt road to the village that lay ahead. Her mother, Rashmi, had asked her to get a thing of rope from one of the elders. It was a nice day, the sun shone brightly and the distant trumpeting of the flying elephants could be heard from where she stood. _

_ "Ooph!" She cried out, stumbling forward when she felt something hard hit the back of her leg. Turning her head to look around, a window from the house she had just passed, closed immediately with a loud slam. Bending down, Toothiana looked to make sure she wasn't bleeding. Another rock hit her other side. Crying out, she didn't wait to see who it was or to get the rope. She was definitely bleeding, and the pain was uncomfortable. _

_ Taking to the air, her wings worked hard to keep her above the village and back to her house. Crying now, she rushed into the house and into her mother's arms. Burying her face in her own feathered chest as Rashmi ran a hand over her crown soothingly. _

_ She fell asleep holding her, being rocked by her mother. Her parents hushed whispers of escape lulling her to dreamland- filled with the ideas of flight and cages._

—-

Taking a deep breath, Toothiana cleared her throat before removing the tooth and replacing it with a molar.

—-

_ "Toothiana, go!" Shara yelled out, running up to the tree she was perched upon in the jungles canopy. Her hands gripped the rough bark, looking out over the forest for any sign of the hunters. The smoking fire was enough sign for her. They had been at it for a couple of months now, her feather and freak show self apparently valuable to them._

_ "Shara, what's wrong?" Toothiana asked, frowning. She hadn't seen the girl in such a panic for awhile. Diving down, she evened out a branch above her as she caught her breath._

_ "The hunter… He has your parents." At those words enough, Toothiana jumped off the branch and hit the ground, ready to jump into action. Picking up a fallen branch, she tested its weight, heaving it over her shoulder before Shara placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you don't go to them, they said… They said they'd kill Rashmi and Haroom." A colorful bird who had arrived just seconds before chirped her confirmation of the news, one of Toothiana's many spies within the jungle._

_ Toothiana's eyes flared, anger boiling inside of her and eating at her. They had said never to come after her. But they were her parents. She couldn't just leave them like that. Shara cleared her throat and held out one of the swords that Toothiana's family had left behind in their old house. Replacing the branch with the curved blade, she swung it once before nodding her thanks and taking off towards the signal fire she had seen earlier._

_—-_

_ "Toothiana, fly away! Leave us!" Rashimi cried out, seeing her daughter fly into the fray as she spun, kicking an offender square in the chest with her bare feet. Toothiana ignored her, looking at her mother and father as they fought, her face contorted in anger and pain at seeing them like this. _

_ Eventually, fighting through the angry mob, she makes it to her parents. Their backs together, all three of them are exhausted and the head hunter merely stands over a large cage, smirking at their apparent defeat. Turning to Toothiana, Rashimi held out a small box and pouch, pushing it into her daughters hands. "Take these. Open them when you need comfort. Now go!" She cried, pushing her daughter away from them._

_ Letting out a scream, one that was half-human and half-bird. It mesmerized those below for a few moments, her eyes burning as she glared at them. How could she leave them? Taking into the air, she screamed again, full of sorrow and anger, the mob cringing away from her as she screamed at them. How could she?! _

_ The head hunter screamed back, his voice raw with fury and hatred. An enemy was made that night, one that would not forget about her 'till the day he killed her. Or she killed him. _

_ —-_

Tooth squeezed her eyes shut, taking the tooth and replacing it with one of the final teeth.

"It's my fault, Jack." She said softly, closing her eyes once more.

—-

_ Opening the pouch, Toothiana sighed. Not once had she cried that night, nor the day after that. They couldn't be dead. Those who had cared for her for so long couldn't just be gone like that. _

_ And because of her. If her stupid wings, her stupid feathers had never appeared, they would still be here. Perhaps looking at possible suitors and living with the rest of the villagers in a 'normal' life. _

_ She slid out a ruby canister. That was odd. Surely, this wasn't what Haroom had been carving in his spare time? Opening it, along with the note, she felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. But she would not cry._

_'Our Dearest Girl,_

_These are the teeth of your childhood. If you have them under your pillow in your sleep, or if you hold them tightly, you will remember that which you need—a memory of happy days, or of deepest hopes, or even of us in better days._

_But one tooth is not yours. It's a tooth of amazing power, and from what being it comes from, we did not know,_

_Use it only in times of great danger or need._

_ Your Dearest Parents'_

_Clearing her throat, Toothiana took one tooth out at a time, sliding it under her makeshift pillow of leaves and feathers that she had made up for her treetop perch. The memories wrapped around her body as she slept like a soft blanket, comforting her with the sound of her parents loving voices and laughter of games long past._

_ The comfort always ended too shortly for her liking, the self loathing always rushing back when she awoke. She wished she could rip them off. Throw them at those awful men who wanted them so badly. Surely, that would be enough?_

_ Calling upon a few of her village and friends and jungle companions, the immediately refused when they heard her request. Take her wings off? How horrible, and messy! They protested, and when they wouldn't even touch her, she flew off in anger._

_ Taking the ruby box, she chipped a piece off. It was a small piece, but one that would give her a good hold. It was sharp enough by itself, but she used a rock to give it that little edge she would need. A sense of dread filled the pit of her stomach, but she couldn't do this anymore. Closing her eyes, she reached behind her and brought the makeshift ruby blade against her skin._

_Letting out a cry of pain, warm blood welled up in the deep cut she had made between her back and her wings. But even as she sawed at it, they would not sever. And as she screamed once more, a small bird resting on her shoulder and nuzzling her cheek. The effort to saw a wing off was exhausting. Her shoulders ached and the blood loss was almost too much for her to think straight. Not to mention the pain. She was biting her lip to keep from screaming so hard that it bled, running down her chin. Leaning against the tree, she closed her eyes and let the blood drip to the ground._

_ Awaking a few days later, the deep cuts she had made were scabbing over but were still too sore for her to move more than an inch or two. Surely now she didn't belong anywhere. Even the small bird had left. Taking a baby tooth, she held it close to her chest and let its comforting thoughts envelop her and numb the pain._

—-

Toothiana gasped, opening her eyes wet with tears. There was plenty more for her to tell. But that was enough for now. The pain in her chest, and the deep ache in her wings made her feel sick.

"That's enough." She muttered, taking the tooth from his palm and placing it carefully back in the ruby canister, avoiding his gaze.


End file.
